Social media isn't as bad as you think. Personally, I think it's all about balance. Why does it have to be this terrible thing that's consumed our generation? Do I think some people rely on it too much? Sure. I love social media, I think it's fun and it's an awesome way to connect with people. You can literally talk to people from anywhere in the world, see who has been to the same places you have been, talk about trending topics that are huge in the world with people you never even knew existed, and that's all pretty amazing. You can keep up with people you don't get to talk to as much as you'd like. I love seeing posts of family members who live states away or high school friends who I don't get to visit often. It's not all bad.
It's all about balance.
If you want to upload 12 selfies a month, more power to you. Who is anyone else to judge you or say anything about it? Why is posting "too many" pictures a bad thing?
If you are convinced you need to slide into someone's DMs or you need to follow them on Twitter as your way of telling them you're interested, go for it. But that doesn't mean you should be afraid to approach someone in person. That's where this blurred line is. Social media shouldn't replace real life. It's a part of life in this world.
With that being said, DMing someone or following someone maybe you've only met once does not always mean you are interested. You could simply be being friendly. So, if someone sends you a message via Twitter or Instagram, try not to instantly be "creeped out" if that's what you think is happening. That person very well might be doing it out of innocence.
Who cares if someone tweets out their Snapchat username and wants their followers to add them? Who cares? So what, they want to snap some new friends, or they want to watch other people's stories. That's what the app is for, to connect with people and talk with them, to share what we're doing. That's what all social media is for.
I think the point of all of this, all the accounts we have, all the apps, the likes, the followers, is to give us the chance to interact with people we don't always have the chance to, that's an incredible thing; it is an incredible gift technology has given us, and I am happy I have these accounts. I'm happy to post things going on in my life, pictures with my friends, song lyrics I love, memes from my favorite television shows.
Social media teaches us and shows us how easy it is to be upfront with people and to go out of our way to learn more about each other. Once we can understand that and stop taking advantage of it all or using it for the wrong reasons, it can teach us how important it is to carry what we practice on social media into the real world. Social media is not a place for us to be something we're not or a place to assume things about others. It's a part of our real lives, so we should accept it, use it for the positives, and find the balance.
